My stomach flipped. I touched one of my dangling earrings. “Isn’t Riker Tech a four-hour drive away?”
“Yeah.” Dakota dispelled a heavy breath. “I caught a ride with one of the guy’s parents. Had to sit in the back with the little kids. We watchedLand Before Time, and it wasn’t horrible.”
“God, I love that movie,” I mused. “You said it wasn’t horrible like you’ve never seen it.”
Dakota laughed. “I hadn’t.”
“What?” I gasped. “The classic dinosaur movie of all dinosaur movies?”
“I thought that wasWe’re Back?”
I shook my head. “You have been poorly educated on the tier rankings of animated dinosaur films,” I teased.
“I’m open to learning if you’re open to teaching,” he said with a low chuckle.
“Of course I’m open to teaching. Someone has to right these wrongs.”
“Nice. How does tonight sound? Say, in the next hour?”
I licked my lips, hesitating for a split second.
“Am I wrong to sense that you’re pulling away from me?” Dakota asked in a low voice. “If I did something, let me know, and I’ll fix it.”
“You didn’t do anything,” I assured.
“Good. Then is something else wrong? I’m more than happy to stay at my place if that’s what you prefer.”
“I would prefer you here with me,” I said.
“So what’s the problem?”
I closed my eyes for a second. “I got a little scared is all. But I’m okay now.”
“You sure?”
“No, but I’ve been thinking about you all day. I want to see you.”
There was relief in his voice when he said, “I want to see you too, Emmy. When can I?”
“Give me two hours to get ready? The house is a mess.”
“Done. How about this? You text me when you’re ready, and I’ll head in your direction?”
“Perfect.” I took a breath. “I’ll see you soon.”
I told Dakota the house was a mess to have an excuse to get some extra time. In actuality, Kai wouldn’t allow our house to get even the slightest layer of dust. Right now, I appreciate his tenacious attention to detail. I made a promise to myself that from now on, I’d help out with Saturday morning deep cleans.
My extra time was used for a quick shower where I shaved my legs and pits. I stood in front of the mirror, debating on whether to put on a little bit of foundation to cover up a few acne scars. My face was nowhere near as bad as it’d been in high school, but I still had a good amount of scarring on my cheeks and chin. No one besides my family and Silas had seen what I looked like without some sort of make-up.
I brushed some tinted BB cream along with setting powder and wiped a little bit of liquid blush on my cheeks and eyelids.
Figuring out what to wear next felt a little easier. I’d acquired a plethora of loungewear since giving up the nightlife. My taste could be described as earth-tone chic. I possessed a ton of long cardigans, stretchy crop tops, and high-waisted wide-leg pants. I sprayed a bit of my favorite perfume on when I heard a car pull into the driveway.
I felt nerves running up and down my spine when I hurried down the stairs at the knock on the door. This was Dakota. I’d spoken to him countless times. We’d had sex on a table for goodness sake. He was always a gentleman, always sweet and caring. There was nothing to worry about.
When I opened the door, my worry multiplied. Dakota stood in front of me, leaning against the doorframe with his typical easy look. His cheeks were a little red from the cold, and his hair hung loosely, brushing against his shoulders. The warmth in his eyes made me want to pull him close for a kiss.
So, I did. He kissed me back, fingers brushing across my cheek. We stood in the cold doorway for a moment, enjoying the taste of one another. Once we finally pulled back, in need of air, we both laughed at how breathless we were.
